Happy Atheist Forum

Religion => Religion => Topic started by: curiosityandthecat on July 29, 2008, 05:40:21 PM

Title: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: curiosityandthecat on July 29, 2008, 05:40:21 PM
"At least 50 people have lost their sight after staring at the sun hoping to see an image of the Virgin Mary, according to reports."

See the spoiler for the rest of the article.
[spoiler:b1ctfy70]Alarmed health authorities in India's Kottayam district have set up a sign dispelling rumours of a miraculous image in the sky and warning of the dangers of looking into direct sunlight.

Forty-eight cases of sight-loss, allegedly caused by photochemical burns on the retina, have been recorded at St Joseph's ENT and Eye hospital in the region since Friday.

Despite warnings, and the potentially harmful effects of their actions, believers are allegedly still flocking to a hotelier's house in Erumeli near where the divine image is said to have appeared.

"All our patients have similar history and symptoms… They have developed photochemical, not thermal, burns after continuously gazing at the sun," Dr Annamma James Isaac, the hospital's ophthalmologist said.

Even churches in the area have disowned the miracle after health officers and doctors approached the clergy.

The house where the miracle is said to have occurred has apparently been the subject of rumours for months.

The hotelier, who has since moved, had claimed that statues of the Virgin Mary in his house have been crying honey and bleeding oils and perfumes.[/spoiler:b1ctfy70]
From http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1581424/Dozens-blinded-in-India-looking-for-Virgin-Mary.html

(https://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages38.fotki.com%2Fv1217%2Fphotos%2F8%2F892548%2F6116196%2Fnonos-vi.gif&hash=f195ac7c631cf2ad7d88f5540b31ea2f0f05e5ed)

Srsly.
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Loffler on July 29, 2008, 06:20:08 PM
That means it's working!
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Will on July 29, 2008, 06:21:26 PM
Must... not... laugh.... at... blindness...

...must... not... make... jesus... mud... joke...

...
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Chimera on July 29, 2008, 07:17:41 PM
Quote from: "Willravel"Must... not... laugh.... at... blindness...

...must... not... make... jesus... mud... joke...

...

OMG, that made me laugh so hard!
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: afreethinker30 on July 30, 2008, 04:11:59 AM
A master plan me thinks  :D   Now who was the one that suggested it?

http://video.nbc4.com/player/?id=279599  "Some See Virgin Mary In Floor Drain
Restaurant Owner Sees Image As Blessing
A plumber working on renovations at a California restaurant says he has found an image of the Virgin Mary in a floor drain. "
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Asmodean on July 30, 2008, 05:03:39 AM
I saw a Virgin Mary two days ago. She's eight years old. A guy-I-know's kid.

 :unsure:
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: shedaytrips on July 31, 2008, 04:18:37 AM
Anyone remember this one?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6511148/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6511148/)
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: afreethinker30 on July 31, 2008, 04:59:32 AM
[youtube:ctt9bh5m]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG4PkqTxzmw[/youtube:ctt9bh5m]
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Jolly Sapper on July 31, 2008, 06:57:50 PM
Isn't there some old adage that goes something like, "The harder you look the more likely you are to find whatever it is you seek."?
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: curiosityandthecat on July 31, 2008, 07:00:47 PM
Quote from: "Jolly Sapper"Isn't there some old adage that goes something like, "The harder you look the more likely you are to find whatever it is you seek."?

Something tells me they weren't looking for irreversible retinal damage.  :D
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: afreethinker30 on August 01, 2008, 03:00:29 AM
Quote from: "Jolly Sapper"Isn't there some old adage that goes something like, "The harder you look the more likely you are to find whatever it is you seek."?


Pareidolia - describes a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hidden messages on records played in reverse.

Apophenia - the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.

Face perception is the process by which the brain and mind understand and interpret the face, particularly the human face.
The face is an important site for the identification of others and conveys significant social information. Probably because of the importance of its role in social interaction, psychological processes involved in face perception are known to be present from birth, to be complex, and to involve large and widely distributed areas in the brain. These parts of the brain can be damaged to cause a specific impairment in understanding faces known as prosopagnosia.
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: myleviathan on August 01, 2008, 04:44:33 AM
Quote from: "afreethinker30"
Quote from: "Jolly Sapper"Isn't there some old adage that goes something like, "The harder you look the more likely you are to find whatever it is you seek."?


Pareidolia - describes a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hidden messages on records played in reverse.

Apophenia - the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.

Face perception is the process by which the brain and mind understand and interpret the face, particularly the human face.
The face is an important site for the identification of others and conveys significant social information. Probably because of the importance of its role in social interaction, psychological processes involved in face perception are known to be present from birth, to be complex, and to involve large and widely distributed areas in the brain. These parts of the brain can be damaged to cause a specific impairment in understanding faces known as prosopagnosia.

The sandwich with the face of Mary is a modern day relic! Shroud of Turin to... face in half-eaten sandwich.
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: karadan on August 01, 2008, 01:38:41 PM
lol.
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: Jolly Sapper on August 01, 2008, 05:50:49 PM
QuoteThe sandwich with the face of Mary is a modern day relic! Shroud of Turin to... face in half-eaten sandwich.

That's gotta be a bit of a slap to the buttery cheek of Jesus to have the religious artifacts be downgraded from hand crafted burial cloth to a bachelor's choice of convenient food stuff.
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: myleviathan on August 02, 2008, 10:03:45 PM
I was inspired yesterday by the sighting of Mary, Queen of the Universe, in a sandwich. I made a grilled cheese on rye. It was delicious (I ate the whole thing, though).
Title: Re: Dozens blinded in India looking for Virgin Mary
Post by: afreethinker30 on August 06, 2008, 04:42:14 AM
Quote from: "myleviathan"I was inspired yesterday by the sighting of Mary, Queen of the Universe, in a sandwich. I made a grilled cheese on rye. It was delicious (I ate the whole thing, though).

Next time make it with some Allah meat.YUM http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7520149.stm